Help me understand Led Zeppelin?

[Steve983]

I've always been puzzled by the huge success of LZ, they have some good stuff but a lot of mediocre/boring stuff too. They copied their style from The Jeff Beck Group but got the credit for it from the masses, made their best albums earlier in their career and dined out on it ever since. Just my opinion of course

[JJ88]

Only bumped this because it was the most recent thread but I've been listening to a lot of their live shows lately, most recently that Zurich show from the last 1980 European tour. This tour usually slips through the net. Page and Bonham were by no means 'match fit'. I've certainly heard worse from Page, but Bonham was simplifying some of his parts. Anyway, 'The Train Kept A Rollin' was brought back to the set after more than ten years. 'In The Evening' is strong. There's a really fiery 'Trampled Underfoot' and a botched 'Kashmir'. What do people think of this show/tour?

[Adm.Kirk]

I've heard most of, if not all, of the 1979-1980 Europe shows. The band was not in good shape. The drugs/alcohol were in full control of Page and Bonham. There are moments when they hit the mark but overall, I think it was there worst tour. 1973-1975 were the best tours, I think. By '77 they were hit and miss. I think they had the right idea in 1980 by trimming back the excess but they weren't really in condition to execute it. I think the planned 1980 U.S. tour would have been a make or break proposition for them. They would have had to come in firing on all cylinders. They were, I think, running on good will as a live band. In the studio, they were fine. I know In Through the Out Door gets some hate but I always thought it to be an excellent record, one of my favorites.

Bill

[BravadoNJ]

3 words.......... ACHILLES LAST STAND

[UnephenStephen]

My "take" is that they transcended the limitations of, and constraints inherent in, the prevailing three-piece blues-rock style. With regard to composition, arrangement, instrumentarium, performative prowess, stylistic eclecticism, and hip ideas, they illuminated a path of potential for moving beyond the stilted, stunted, and formulaic proclivities of an army of also-rans.

what you said. i love Zep and always have. the main reason being they were that much different and more diverse than your typical heavy metal band of the 70's.
good song examples are..
Friends, Bron-y-aur Stomp from III
Black Dog, Battle of Evermore, Four Sticks, Levee from IV
Rain Song, The Crunge, the Ocean from Houses
i could go on..

[JJ88]

This thread will do. Mike Millard's masters have surfaced, apparently including many previously uncirculated recordings. He recorded many a famous 70s rock show- Listen To This Eddie and For Badgeholders Only from LA Forum in 1977 are most relevant here. He also did Pink Floyd from the LA Sports Arena in 1975 (known by names like Cruel But Fair) which is an extraordinary recording.

http://www.therushforum.com/index.ph...llard-masters/

[ronmac]

Some Japanese SBDs have been showing up, too. I just grabbed Osaka 9/28/71 and it's stellar. I'm not really much of a fan anymore, so i might not actually keep it.

[Jerjo]

Empress Valley either got a hold of a previously unavailable tape or remastered one of the old ones. The show is pretty good, rumored to have been the source for the proposed but unreleased How the East was Won.

[JJ88]

I'm familiar with the famous one the day after. It's a real patchwork quilt of sources, alas. I think a partial soundboard turned up since the version I heard but still not complete. I love the off-the-wall covers in those mammoth medleys- this show had Elvis' 'I Gotta Know'.

I was listening to the Berkeley 1971 show recently. That has a really strong performance from Page, IMHO.

[Jerjo]

Here's a long thread on Hoffman about the 71 shows in Japan

https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...-tapes.482781/

On page 12 or so there's a couple links to a discussion on Dime about a bunch of Mike Millard master tapes surfacing. I haven't dug through links yet but will at some point. One of the finds is a Rush Moving Pictures show.

[JJ88]

Yeah I know there was supposed to be a companion to How The West Was Won, but it never happened. I don't understand why the Earls Court stuff also just sits on a shelf, besides the songs on the DVD.

[Jerjo]

I don't understand why the Earls Court stuff also just sits on a shelf, besides the songs on the DVD.

Because a 76 year old man, with a girlfriend who is 45 years younger, has better things to do that sift through the tapes and he's too much of a perfectionist/control freak to let anyone else near the tapes?

[JJ88]

Undoubtedly all true. And anyway, the moment has doubtless passed in terms of sales.

I've heard the last two 1975 Earls Court shows, the last (25th May) was the best, I thought, especially with regard to Plant's vocals, but both had much to recommend them.

One very high quality soundboard that emerged in the last decade was Seattle from the same year. That one is totally complete, I'm sure, with no audience 'patches'.

I've probably only heard 20 odd shows, though...all the 'obvious' ones.

[3LockBox]

Jimmy gonna take it with him.

[JJ88]

Have heard the 'new' Osaka show. It's very good. A strong performance of the then-new 'Stairway To Heaven' and the acoustic set is great. 'Celebration Day' is terrific.

Sadly it's in the cruddy audience recording* part of the show rather than the soundboard, but it has some more 'unexpected' covers. Specifically a couple of Cliff Richard songs, 'D In Love' (a B side!) and- amazingly- 'Bachelor Boy'.

*No, I'm not saying all audience recordings are cruddy! But this one is, IMHO.

[3LockBox]

*No, I'm not saying all audience recordings are cruddy! But this one is, IMHO.

I had a neighbor who had all kinds of audience recordings of different band like Jethro Tull and LZ, but mostly Grateful Dead and associates. He was so proud of them (he'd only done a couple himself, many were a copy of a copy). Almost every one I listened to sounded like shit. I didn't get it. I tried to remaster a Jorma Kaukonen tape he had (boost passages, soften crowd noise) but I couldn't polish a turd.

[JJ88]

I've heard several very good audience recordings. For instance I believe Zeppelin's Montreux 1970 show is mostly an audience recording and it's remarkable, considering.

I have very low tolerance for the more muffled ones though.

[Jerjo]

This video was apparently posted on the band's official site, which makes one wonder if we really are getting teased for an official release off that tour of Japan in 1971. This is just partial songs but wow, the ferocity is just astounding.

[Vic2012]

^ Watched the intro song, Immigrant Song.

I know, Zep wants nothing to do with Heavy Metal history. Sorry Zep, you are Metal. Deal with it.........

[Jerjo]

How Jimmy Page lost his prized guitar in Minneapolis and got it back 45 years later

https://www.startribune.com/how-led-...ter/571659372/

[JJ88]

New Robert Plant anthology.

http://www.imwan.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=112386

I find the tracklist almost wilfully eccentric. The earlier Sixty Six To Timbuktu received some criticism but it still had most of the better known songs. Probably 'Burning Down One Side' and 'In The Mood' were the biggest omissions from that. But this one has several bizarre omissions and inclusions.

[Mythos]

I do have to give Led Zep credit for having one of the most apropos album tiles ever that completely supports the premise of this thread:

"The Song Remains the Same"

(Yes, yes it does and that's the problem...)

[Mister Triscuits]

"The Song Remains the Same"

(Yes, yes it does and that's the problem...)

Yeah, they did step right into that one.

[grego]

I have in the past admitted to being a non-fan of Led Zeppelin. (Or bragged about it. Whatever.) But I want to understand the phenomenon that surrounds them, why so many people think they are the peak of rock'n'roll. So please help me understand.....


So ... just what is it about this band that makes people think of them so highly?.

Ok, so incriminating zep threads never die here. Good tradition. Now it goes in a 'help' attitude - resourceful approach! How to rationalize the myth of glory. This topic draws on serious scientific work. Of course, such amount of glory is undeserved. Where is my proggy tea spoon to define a measure.

[Halmyre]

Ok, so incriminating zep threads never die here. Good tradition. Now it goes in a 'help' attitude - resourceful approach! How to rationalize the myth of glory. This topic draws on serious scientific work. Of course, such amount of glory is undeserved. Where is my proggy tea spoon to define a measure.